Accounting Assistant I/II/Senior

Job Description:

Accounting Assistant I/II/Senior

Description

Description

THE POSITION

Accounting Assistant I/II
Under immediate (I) or general (II) supervision, receives training and learns to perform the more routine duties (I) or performs the full range of duties (II) in the maintenance and processing of financial transactions, and entry/retrieval of data and/or information into manual or technology systems; functional areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to cash receipts and disbursements, accounts receivable, billing, accounts payable, payroll, fixed asset accounting, and revenue distribution.

Senior Accounting Assistant
Under general supervision a Sr. Accounting Assistant provides complex clerical support in the maintenance and processing of financial records and data entry/retrieval in manual and automated systems; functional areas of responsibility include cash receipts and disbursements; accounts receivable/billing; accounts payable/payroll; fixed asset accounting; and revenue distribution.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

Each successive level in the Accounting Assistant series is distinguished by scope of independence and responsibility. The level of the position within the series is commensurate with the complexity of the assigned tasks. If appointed at the lower level (I), incumbents may be promoted to the higher level (II) without further examination upon meeting the minimum requirements, demonstrating satisfactory performance, and in accordance with business needs of the department.

Accounting Assistant I ($21.00 - $26.19 hourly) - This is the entry-level classification in the Accounting Assistant series, where the emphasis is on learning the fiscal operations and processes in the assigned fiscal program area(s), and on conducting duties and responsibilities that are limited in nature. Initially, under close supervision, incumbents perform the more routine duties while learning the assigned program area's fiscal policies, procedures, systems, operations and practices. As experience is gained, and over a period of time, incumbents will assume the increasingly responsible duties associated with the full journey level of the series.

Accounting Assistant II ($21.00 - $29.10 hourly) - This is the fully experienced/journey-level classification in the Accounting Assistant series, competent to independently perform the full range of duties assigned to the classification. This classification is distinguished from incumbents in the lower level of the series by the performance of the full range of duties and the relative independence with which they perform their duties by applying their working knowledge of fiscal policies and procedures to different work situations, and referring only non-procedural questions to their supervisor. This classification is distinguished from the Sr. Accounting Assistant in that positions assigned to the advanced journey level classification perform the most complex work assigned to the series, requiring a specialized technical or functional expertise.

Senior Accounting Assistant ($22.86 - 32.00 hourly) - This is the advanced journey level in the Accounting Assistant series; positions at this level perform the most complex duties and responsibilities assigned to the series, exercising a significant level of independent judgment in the performance of their duties; work assigned to this advanced level requires a specialized technical or functional expertise beyond the journey level, such as processing complex transactions which require a specialized knowledge of multiple operational factors; positions may also be assigned functional, technical and lead supervisory duties over lower level staff when such assignments are a formal organizational responsibility, supervising at least three subordinate staff members.

WHAT WE OFFER

The County of Ventura offers an attractive compensation and benefits package that includes:

• New Hire/Referral Incentive: New hires may be eligible for a one-time New Hire Incentive up to 10% of the current annual base wage. (Subject to the applicable section of the SEIU 721 MOA 2019-2022, Amendment #6 (Secs. 3801 - 3803)
• Merit Increases - New employees are eligible for an initial 5% merit increase within the pay range upon completion of at least 1,040 hours (approximately 6 months) assuming work meets satisfactory standards. Subsequent merit increases within the pay range will be upon completion of each additional 2,080 hours (approximately one year) from the initial merit increase.
• Educational Incentive - An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate's degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor's degree, OR 5% for completion of a graduate degree.
• Bilingual Incentive - Based on agency need,proficiency levels by exam are $.69 per hour (Level I), $1.00 per hour (Level II), or $1.32 per hour (Level III).
• Flexible Workweek - A compressed work schedule (e.g., 9/80 workweek) may be available for some positions subject to agency business needs.
• Telework Schedule - A remote hybrid telework schedule may be available for some positions subject to agency business needs.
• Vacation Accrual - New regular, full-time employees shall accrue approximately 14 days of vacation a year for the first 10,400 hours or 5 years of service; vacation accruals increase at 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 20 years of service topping out at 26 days a year and 400 hours of vacation hours banked.
• Annual Leave Redemption - After 14,560 hours of continuous County service an employee may elect to "cash in" or redeem up to 80 hours of vacation accrued in the same year after using 80 hours of vacation in the preceding 12 months.
• Sick Leave - Full time regular employees accrue 3.08 hours of sick leave per bi-weekly pay period with an advance at hire of 40.04 hours which will be balanced at the completion of 13 bi-weekly pay periods.
• Deferred Compensation - Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3.00% match on your 401(k) contributions.
• Health Plans-Full time employees are given a flexible credit allowance of up to $ 25,558 annually to offset the purchase of medical, dental, and/or vision insurance for you and your dependents.
  • Employee only - $509 per biweekly pay period
  • Employee plus one dependent - $779 per biweekly pay period
  • Employee plus family - $983 per biweekly pay period
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Pre-tax benefit towards eligible medical, dental and vision care and/or dependent care expenses.
• Pension Plan - Participation in the County's defined pension plan, which has reciprocity with CalPERS.
• Holidays - 12 paid days per year which, includes a scheduled floating holiday.
• Additional Benefits - Tuition Reimbursement, Disability Plans, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Wellness Program.

OUR COUNTY AND COMMUNITYVentura County is located on California's "Gold Coast," approximately 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 20 miles southeast of Santa Barbara. The County includes 42 miles of coastline which is home to the fol lowing cities and points of interest: Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and Ventura as well as national protected areas such as parts of the Angeles National Forest, Channel Islands National Park, and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Ventura County’s beauty and weather combined with a wonderful quality of life are among the many reasons our residents choose to call Ventura County "home."

DEPARTMENT/AGENCY: Various

Accounting Assistant I/II are represented by the Service Employees’ International Union (SEIU) and are eligible for overtime compensation.

Examples Of Duties

Depending on the level, duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Learns to receive, review, and verify (I) or receives, reviews and verifies (II/Sr) claims, invoices, and payroll documents for authorization of expenditures, accuracy of amounts and accounts charged, and conformance to rules and procedures.
• Learns to perform (I) or performs (II/Sr) posting functions by hand or on the computer by inputting accounting or payroll data to appropriate accounts, journals, or ledgers.
• Receives cash, warrants and checks from individuals or revenue sources; applies credit to the proper subsidiary ledger account; balances the cash register and forwards deposits to the proper accounting area for deposit with County Treasurer.
• Performs simple arithmetical computations (I/II) to verify money collected, claims amounts, time attendance hours, supply inventories, etc. May perform more complex calculations (Sr) (e.g., back pay, revenue/costs distribution, welfare aide entitlement) by examining the individual case records, integrating multiple rules and regulations, and comparing outcomes using different methods of calculation.
• Logs and codes data according to prescribed accounting procedures; retrieves documents from files and sets up new files as requested.
• Pre-audits the work of others (e.g., time and work reports, child support payments, payroll, welfare payroll) to ensure proper coding, account classification, cost and fund distribution, and compliance with state or federal guidelines and procedures (Sr only).
• Learns to compare (I) or compares (II/Sr) data on the documents with back-up information in order to substantiate claims.
• Provides receipts by filling out a receipt form or endorsing checks in order to provide payee with proof of payment.
• Sorts, batches and files financial, statistical, or fiscal data/records.
• Learns to compile, verify, and calculate (I) or compiles, verifies, and calculates (II/Sr) the appropriate charges to clients/users for services/goods rendered; prepares invoices to provide details on charges.
• Learns to verify (I) or verifies (II) the signatures of persons authorizing the expenditures by maintaining and reviewing the index files.
• Balances the subsidiary ledger totals to the Auditor-Controller's financial status reports; prepares periodic detail and summary reports on account status as requested (Sr only).
• Plans, leads, schedules, assigns, reviews and monitors the work of clerical staff in assigned program area (Sr only).
• Researches outstanding warrants and claims; follows up with the parties involved and takes corrective actions to resolve the problems; prepares journal vouchers to adjust the accounts accordingly (Sr only).
• Provides oral and/or written reports to supervisors as required by abstracting data from various agency accounting and statistical records (Sr only).
• Edits daily operational reports for discrepancies or rejects; prepares adjustment entries to reconcile with the master control accounts (Sr only).
• Troubleshoots on computer system errors, provides system maintenance support for the unit, and creates/modifies the file structure to enhance report generation (Sr only).
• Assists the supervisor in the compilation of workload statistics and supplemental reports requested by state, federal and local agencies (Sr only).
• Other related duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications

These are entrance requirements to the exam process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

Any combination of education and experience which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills and abilities. An example of qualifying education and experience includes:

Accounting Assistant I: No prior work experience is required.

Accounting Assistant II: Two (2) years of experience in financial, statistical, or fiscal record keeping; or one (1) year as an Accounting Assistant I with the County of Ventura.

Senior Accounting Assistant: Four (4) years of experience in financial, statistical, or fiscal record keeping; or two (2) years as an Accounting Assistant II with the County of Ventura.

Education/Experience Substitution:
Three (3) units of college-level accounting coursework OR twelve (12) units of college-level general coursework may be substituted for up to one (1) year of the required experience.

If you are substituting education for experience (up to one year), verification of college-level coursework is required. Transcripts or grade reports from an accredited college or university which reflect the date your degree was conferred and passing grades in the required subject areas must be submitted to County of Ventura, Human Resources within three (3) business days of the recruitment closing date. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. If transcripts or grade reports are not submitted, your application will be screened out and you will not be allowed to continue in the process.

You may submit transcripts using one of the following options:

• Attach the transcripts to your application
• Email the transcripts to kim.mariscal@ventura.org
• Mail to Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L#1970, Ventura, CA 93009

You must submit this documentation with your application, a hard copy with a paper application or a scanned PDF copy as an attachment for an online application. If you submit a hard copy with a paper application, be sure it's a copy. Whatever you submit will not be returned to you. To attach a PDF scanned copy to an online application, use the Add Attachment(s) link in the Attachments section of your application.

Degree(s) from a foreign institution require an academic credential evaluation to determine the U.S. equivalency.

If the name on this documentation is different from the name on your application, include documents that show the name change (e.g., a marriage certificate).

COUNTY EMPLOYEES AS DISASTER SERVICE WORKERS
When a disaster strikes of natural or manmade origin, Ventura County employees may be called upon to provide service to the community by assisting in emergency response efforts. This may require employees to work in other locations, different hours, and out of class. At the time of hire, all County employees will be required to sign an Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance for Disaster Service Workers and Public Employees (Sections 3102 and 3103, Government Code of California).

JOB COMPETENCIES:
Adaptability & Flexibility - Responding positively to change and fluidly modifying behavior as the situation requiresCommunication - Respectfully delivering pertinent, truthful, and timely information and comprehending information delivered by othersCustomer Service - Ensuring consistent, responsive, and superior delivery of services to internal and external stakeholdersProfessional Integrity & Ethics - Demonstrating high standards of conduct and consistently adhering to sound moral principles Results Focus - Initiating tasks, meeting organizational goals, and committing to proficient accomplishmentSelf-Management - Exemplifying personal organization, dependability, and self-disciplineTeam Orientation - Embracing a spirit of collaboration and a commitment to cooperating with others to achieve shared goalsFinancial Sense - Apportioning and prioritizing the use of fiscal and material assets to maximize organizational effectivenessAttention to Detail - Accomplishing tasks thoroughly with concern for all elements involved, however smallMathematical Reasoning - Performing computations and solving numerical or statistical problemsReading Comprehension - Understanding, analyzing, and applying written informationWriting - Using text to effectively communicate information

Recruitment Process

FINAL FILING DATE: Your application must be received by County of Ventura, Human Resources no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 23, 2025.
To apply online, please refer to our web site at www.ventura.org/jobs . If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura, Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.

Information for Transfer Candidates: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please click here for additional information.

Note: It is essential that you complete all sections of your application and supplemental questionnaire thoroughly and accurately to demonstrate your qualifications. A resume and/or other related documents may be attached to supplement the information in your application and supplemental questionnaire; however, it/they may not be submitted in lieu of the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE - qualifying: All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this exam AT THE TIME OF FILING. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the recruitment and hiring process to assist in determining qualifications for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in removal of the application from further consideration.

APPLICATION EVALUATION - qualifying: All applications will be reviewed to determine whether the stated requirements are met. Applicants meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the examination process.

WRITTEN EXAMINATION - 100%: An un-proctored, on-line, internet-based job-related written examination will be conducted to test applicants' knowledge of math/accounting, computer, reading comprehension, comparison and filing for successful performance on the job. Applicants must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

VETERAN'S POINTS: This is a trainee/entry level classification, and Veteran's Points may apply to eligible applicants. Documentation of military service must be submitted prior to close of recruitment in order to receive points.

ELIGIBLE LIST: Candidates successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year. The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill present and future regular, temporary, fixed-term, intermittent and extra-help vacancies.

SELECTION INTERVIEW: When a position becomes available, applicants are referred to the employing department for interviews beginning with the highest scoring applicants, moving down the list from the top until the available positions are filled.

NOTE: If appointed at the lower level, an employee may be promoted to the higher level of Accounting Assistant II without further examination upon meeting the minimum requirements, demonstrating satisfactory performance, and in accordance with the business needs of the department.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A thorough pre-employment, post offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information, and driving record is required for this position.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the County of Ventura to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for county employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

CONTACT INFORMATION: For further information about this recruitment, please contact Blake Nespica by email at Blake.Nespica@ventura.org .

Service Employees International Union (LOCAL 721)
(SEIU)

To learn more about Benefits, Retirement, and the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), see links below.

• Benefits website or you may call (805) 654-2570.
• Retirement FAQ's
• Memorandum of Agreement

Union Code: UPP

Closing Date/Time: 5/23/2025 5:00 PM Pacific

Salary:

$43,680.00 - $66,569.40 Annually